Alex Burdemy receives award

The University of Essex’s Languages for All project has been presented with the European Language Label 2013, for being an innovative language-learning project.

The Essex team were presented with the award on Thursday 26 September as part of a ceremony at the EU Commission Office in London.

Speaking after the event, Languages for All Co-ordinator, Alex Burdumy, said, “The entire Languages for All team are delighted to have received this award. The large interest we have had for the project has shown us that young people in the UK, from many different backgrounds, are very keen to learn a new language.”

Languages for All is an institution wide language programme, run by the Essex Language Centre within the University’s Department of Language and Linguistics. The programme offers all students at Essex the chance to study a language alongside, but completely separate to, their main course and at no extra cost. Study can be done flexibly, either in the evening or, uniquely, online.

The European Language Label is an award for innovative language-learning projects. It rewards creative ways to improve the quality of language teaching, motivate learners and maximise available resources. To be successful, projects must demonstrate creative thinking and lead to improved teaching provision and learner achievement. They must be innovative, effective and replicable by others in the UK and abroad.

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Note to Editors:

For more information please contact Catherine McDonald, Faculty Communications Officer, Faculty of Social Sciences : 07515 116547 : cmcdonb@essex.ac.uk

The European Language Label was, until 2010, known in the UK as the European Award for Languages. It’s part of the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP), the European Union’s flagship programme for collaboration in the field of education and training. The national agency responsible for the implementation of the LLP in the UK is Ecorys and the Department for Education provides funding to manage the European Language Label within the UK. The European Language Label in the UK is managed by CfBT on behalf of Ecorys within the EC funded Transversal Programme.